Student Stories

Vancouver Island University (VIU) alum Samuelle Simard-Provençal led a bird banding demonstration this September to allow girls and Indigenous youth to learn about biological sciences and the different career paths they can pursue.

What began as a way to combat feelings of isolation and boredom during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has now morphed into a budding side business for Elise Cole.

Elise is a second-year Kinesiology student at VIU and says it was a photo contest offered as part of the university’s 2021 Create Conference that prompted her to pursue her artistic side.

“I’ve always loved artwork and painting,” she says.

Vancouver Island University’s ‘su’luqw’a’ Community Cousins Aboriginal student mentorship program is celebrating its 10^th anniversary in September 2021. In honour of this important milestone, we are sharing stories of people closely connected with the program every month leading up to the anniversary. Stay tuned for a celebration of this important milestone in February 2022 – when we hope to be able to gather in-person.

Chris Shanks wanted to pursue a truly interdisciplinary education during his time at VIU, which is why he enrolled in both a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies and a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Psychology and Biology. 

Kashmir Lesnick-Petrovicz hopes her art makes people feel confident, accepted and valued.

The VIU BA student, completing a double major in Visual Arts and Global Studies, is one of three artists displaying their work during RockVIU's interactive art exhibit. RockVIU is the University's series of new student orientation events, taking place August 23 to September 3, 2021. The art exhibit runs September 3 from 11 am to 5:30 pm at VIU's Malaspina Theatre, Building 310. It features visual art displays and dance performances that reflect on what it means to "Matter Here" at VIU.

Michaela Medina has always loved art.

However, it wasn’t until last year that she found her medium – ceramics. She was introduced to the “ancient simplicity” of the art form during a course with VIU Visual Art Professor Scott Leaf.

“Ceramics has, to a certain extent, allowed me to let go of my fear of failure and rigid perfectionism so I could truly explore and discover my artistic style,” she says.

For third-year Visual Art student Enigye Amarkah, expressing oneself isn’t about being limited to one particular medium.

“I don’t like to specify my style because sometimes when you want to express yourself, it’s going to work better as a sculpture, or it’s going to be a good photograph, or it will be a painting, so I don’t like to focus on just one aspect,” says Enigye, whose name translates to "Happy," a moniker he more commonly goes by.

Denman Moody was working in Victoria in an industry she didn’t love, and was considering returning to university when a chance encounter with a family friend during a summer camping trip changed the direction of her life.

Her family friend had graduated from Vancouver Island University’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology Diploma program and told her how much he loved the industry and how many opportunities the training opened up for him.

A decision made “on a whim” has turned into a new career path for Julia Blair.

“I had been struggling for a few years through my 20s to find something that felt like a good fit,” 30-year-old Julia says. 

A decision to switch from pursuing a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) designation to the recreation and tourism field paid dividends for Monir Shahzeidi.

Monir recently finished a Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management at VIU. Beyond just graduating, however, she is also recipient of this year's Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal award.